VALDIVIA. 39 



etl S. Carlos. We arrived on the right clay, for be- 

 fore evening heavy rain commenced. 



February itJi. — Sailed from Chiloe. During the 

 last week I made several short excursions. One 

 was to examine a gi-eatbed of now-existing shells, 

 elevated 350 feet above the level of the sea : from 

 among these shells large forest-trees were gi'owing. 

 Another ride was to P. Huechucucuy. I had with 

 me a guide who knew the country far too well ; 

 for he would pertinaciously tell me endless Indian 

 names for every little point, rivulet, and creek. In 

 the same manner as in Tierra del Fuego, the In- 

 dian language appears singularly well adapted for 

 attaching names to the most trivial features of the 

 land. I believe every one was glad to say farewell 

 to Chiloe; yet if we could forget the gloom and 

 ceaseless rain of winter, Chiloe might pass for a 

 charming island. There is also something very at- 

 tractive in the simplicity and humble politeness of 

 the poor inhabitants. 



We steered northward along shore, but, owing 

 to thick weather, did not reach Valdivia till the 

 night of the Sth. The next morning the boat pro- 

 ceeded to the town, which is distant about ten 

 miles. W^e followed the course of the river, occa- 

 sionally passing a few hovels, and patches of ground 

 cleared out of the otherwise unbroken forest ; and 

 sometimes meeting a canoe with an Indian family. 

 The town is situated on the low banks of the 

 stream, and is so completely buried in a wood of 

 apple-ti-ees that the streets are merely paths in an 

 orchard. I have never seen any country where 

 apple-ti-ees appeared to thrive so well as in this 

 damp part of South America : on the borders of the 

 roads there were many young trees evidently self- 

 sown. In Chiloe the inhabitants possess a max-v-el- 

 lously short method of making an orcharrl. At the 



